On The Menu Next Week: Panko Parm Poulet with Potatoes
April 3, 2017

Next week’s Panko Parm Poulet is the perfect marriage of crunchy and cheesy, which got us wondering: what’s the secret to a good crust? And does pounding the meat have anything to do with it? Fortunately, our chefs were willing to dish out the deets. Hear what they have to say and select this panko chicken stunner on next week’s menu.

Can you describe the process of developing the recipe? What was your inspiration?

Chef Freida: Since our customers love crispy chicken but hate all the work (and dirty dishes) involved in traditional breading, we came up with a shortcut technique using a simple combination of sour cream and panko breadcrumbs. A little cheese in the crust is one of our favorite twists!

What is the benefit of pounding chicken?

Chef Nate: Pounding chicken breast makes the meat a uniform thickness so it cooks quickly and evenly. Pounding also has the added benefit of creating more surface area for the breading to adhere to (and more breading = more flavor).

What’s the secret to a good crust on any meat or fish?

Chef Freida: If you’re cooking in a pan, make sure the oil is hot enough to get the chicken nice and crisp. A lukewarm pan will lead to soggy breading. If you’re baking, be sure your oven is properly preheated.

What should you do if roasted potatoes are getting crunchy and brown on the outside but are not cooked all the way through?

Chef Freida: Reduce your oven temperature. Also, be sure you chop your potatoes to the specified size to ensure they cook properly. If they’re too big, they may not cook through in the time listed.

What can home cooks expect to learn from making this recipe? Why should they be excited to cook it?

Chef Freida: You’ll learn a go-to shortcut to breading chicken that doesn’t require three separate dredging dishes. All you do is press the cheesy breading into the chicken and bake. How easy is that?

What are the nutritional benefits of this recipe?

Rebecca, RD: With the arrival of spring comes all the tender, crisp, and fresh leafy greens. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to protect and heal the body. You can think of it as a natural health tonic that will benefit your brain, heart, and immune system. Also, it turns out Popeye was right – spinach does help you have stronger muscles, hair, and nails!

Sarah, RD: This dish is a creative riff on salad with chicken — which, while healthy, can get boring. The spinach and potatoes provide close to half of the fiber you should consume in a day and are paired with protein-packed chicken. The combination will keep you full throughout the day, which makes this an awesome lunch or dinner.

6 comments

We agree! Fortunately, this recipe is on next week’s menu, which means you can get it delivered straight to your doorstep along with all the pre-measured ingredients you need to cook it. Amazing, right?